Bahrain's Interior Minister said Saturday that some of the members of a terrorism group arrested December 16 had received training in Syria and that the group was led by two Bahrainis living in London. The minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa, said 14 people have been arrested so far and that the investigation is ongoing.
He said both Britain and Syria have been contacted in relation to the case. Allegedly, the group had planned to detonate bombs at tourist and government sites during the country's National Day celebrations. Authorities arrested the group members before any attacks could be carried out.
Of the 14 arrested so far, one is a policeman. All of the arrested are Shiites. Their arrest threatens further tensions in a country where a Shiite majority is ruled by a Sunni minority. Al-Khalifa did not provide names for the alleged ringleaders living in London. He also made a call for tougher terrorism laws. Advocate Hafad Ali, one of the lawyers representing the 14, declined to comment about the cases.